Washington welcomes release of detained American

U.S. citizen Merrill E. Newman puts his thumbprint on a piece of paper, after being taken into custody by North Korea, at an undisclosed location in this undated file photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang November 30, 2013.

WASHINGTON - The State Department says
it is welcoming North Korea's decision to release an elderly
American tourist.

North Korea's state news agency said
85-year-old Merrill Newman was allowed to leave the country after being held
for more than month. North Korea says Newman, a Korean War veteran, apologized for
alleged crimes during the war.

State Department spokeswoman Marie
Harf called it a positive decision but urged North Korea to also
release another American, Kenneth Bae, who's been held there for over a year.
Bae is a Korean-American missionary
and tour operator. He's being held for alleged subversion.

Harf thanked the government of Sweden,
which represents U.S. interests in North
Korea because the U.S. does not
have an embassy there.